“Lang? I’m sorry, I don’t know who you are.” Wang Zen said, slowly backing away. “If you want to talk to me, I suggest you do it next time… when I’m less busy.”

Zen would have been harsher to the man but in his condition, he did not want to pick a fight with strangers.

“Wow, Chen Jian did a real number on you, didn’t he?” Lang said. “You seriously don’t even remember me.” Lang dashed forward. He grabbed Zen’s neck before he could react and lifted him from the ground. “So this is your true power? I can’t believe everyone is touting about your feats when all you did was not give up. I could do what you did, but even better!”

Lang slammed his fist into Zen’s belly to punctuate his statement. Zen folded over but he was grabbed by the neck and lifted off the ground again.

“You know, even though I enjoy the look of fear in your face,” Lang squeezed tighter, causing Zen to struggle. “But its sad. I’d have preferred to see that fear multiply sevenfold as you realise your sins and wrongs are catching up to you.”

“I’m… I’m sorry!” Zen coughed out.

“Sorry? SORRY?” He threw Zen, slamming him against the wall. “Will your sorry return to me my reputation? Will your sorry give me the trust of my comrades back? Do you know the humiliation I received for surrendering to you and how even worse it got when everyone found out you had been faking your power level? No, if you’re truly sorry, you’ll surrender your life to my…”

Zen pushed off the wall, shooting past Lang. He began to leg it, trying to get away while shouting for help.

Lang chased after him. His long legs, charged with ki, was easily closing the gap between him and Zen. Lang kicked Zen on the back, sending him rolling over on the ground.

“You can’t escape me!” Lang said, kicking Zen in the ribs, sending him rolling.

Lang reached out to Zen and was surprised when there was a flash of silver. Lang felt the sting of pain and withdrew his arm. He looked at it as blood poured out of his wound. His eyes went to Zen and the short single edge sword in his hands.

“You…? You…?” Lang said, grabbing the cut to stop the bleeding.

“If you are threatening my life, then you better be prepared to put yours on the line.” Zen said, rising to his feet. “Have you ever been in a life and death battle? I have. So trust me when I say, neither you or I want to do this.”

Lang started laughing. It started small but then grew into a roar. “I know your tricks, Wang Zen! You can’t bluff your way out of this, and besides,” Lang took a fighting stance, “You don’t think I have been in a life and death battle?”

Lang charged. Zen swung his short sword and Lang stopped, the blade swinging past him before dashing forward again. Lang thrust a punch out. Zen diverted the punch and thrust his blade out. Lang kneed his hand, diverting his strike upward, before thrusting his foot out, pushing Zen back and into the wall.

“Smashing Knee!” Lang shouted as he thrust forward with ki covering his body as he sped forward knee first.

Zen rolled to the side, dodging the move that left a crack on the wall he had been standing in front of a moment ago. Recovering quickly, Zen thrust his blade out. Lang was barely able lean to the side to dodge it.

Zen pressured Lang back by handling his blade with blinding speed as he tried to end the fight.

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Lang was slowly being forced back, unable to find an opening in Zen’s swordplay. Zen was able to add a few more cuts onto Lang’s body during the process. Lang gritted his teeth and lunged forward. He was able to grab Zen’s sword arm.

Zen kicked Lang in the knee, off balancing him and bringing him to one knee. Zen twisted his sword arm, breaking free of Lang’s grasp while cutting his arm in the process. Zen was about to swing his blade again to chop his head off but once again, Lang blocked his sword arm and punched Zen away, sending him flying back.

Zen fell on the ground, his back sling along it.

Lang leapt up into the air and fell down at Zen’s position. “Smashing Knee!”

Zen rolled in time to dodge a majority of the hit but the waves of power sent him rolling into a wall.

The dust cleared as Lang got up. Zen gritted his teeth and forced his body back up.

“Smashing Knee!” Lang sped forward.

The attack slammed into Zen, driving all the air out of his body and making him cough out blood before he was sent hurtling back into the wall behind him, leaving a sizeable indent. Zen fell down onto the ground. The hit was so powerful that Zen even lost his sword, sending it falling in the air before clattering on the ground between the two boys.

Lang’s sick smile returned upon seeing Zen crumpled up on the ground.

“This showing from you was pathetic. I expected some fast punches or even dazzling jab but so far, you’ve been disappointing. Did Chen Jian beat you up that bad? No matter, killing you will still feel…”

Lang stopped and coughed out liquid that stained his lower lip. He wiped at the liquid with the back of his hand and saw the red stain of the liquid. In confusion, his eyes went to Zen’s sword on the ground, where he saw the blade, stained with blood, his blood.

Lang touched the side of his abdomen and found a would, with blood, rapidly being soaked into his garb. “You were able to stab me when my attack connected with you,” Lang said in surprise before falling to his knees.

Zen gritted his teeth and -pushed himself up from the ground. He weakly saw Lang on his knees, focussing on his wound. He was surprised the boy was still conscious, let alone alive. Zen had cut a major vein in his wrist and had added a few more cuts, not mention he was able to run him through on their last clash but the boy was still alive.

Zen dashed forward for his Zen Blade.

Lang seemed to gain awareness and rushed forward for the sword.

Lang slid forward, feet first, kicking the sword away from Zen’s reach before kicking Zen under the chin. Zen’s teeth clattered in his skull but he kept strong, fighting the pull of unconsciousness because he knew if he fainted now, he would not wake up again.

Lang got to his feet and ki began covering him.

Zen looked at the boy in despair. He knew he could not take another hit but without his blade, he was helpless.

“I guess I have no choice, my life or my power?” Zen said, as he reached out to his ki with his consciousness. He could feel the seal Miss Hong had placed on his diantian begin to dissipate, allowing his ki to flow out.

Zen had decided he would end this in one attack. He had to use his strongest move with the intent to kill.

Ki flowed out of Zen’s body, sending out a pulse of ki that obliterated the wall behind him. Zen leapt up into the air, a destructive path being carved on the wall; behind him in his wake.

“No,” Lang looked in horror, knowing in his condition, he would not survive.

“Meteor…!” Zen shouted, thrusting his foot out for the kick. Then his ki vanished and he fell to the ground. His attack had failed!

Zen was shocked. He had poured a lot of ki into the attack and he had lost a lot of Ranks, at least five and even dropped in power level. He could feel Miss Hong’s seal rapidly reparing itself to block any more Origin Ki from leaking out. Even after it had reformed, Zen could feel his ki still trickling out from his diantian. Zen silently mourned the loss of so much of his power and symbol of his hard work while wondering how much more power should he sacrifice in order to make the move successful.

Lang laughed and coughed blood out. “Now you die!” he said.

“No!” Shibi said, swinging in and launching a stream of fire at Lang.

Lang raised his arms to ward off the fire. “NOOOO!” He said as the skin of his arms burned. Lang ran away from the sight, trying to put the fire on his arms out.

“Shibi,” Zen said, “Thank goodness.!”

“Zen!” Shibi said, helping Zen to his feet.

“You followed me?”

“Shibi was worried.” Shibi said.

“Thank you,” Zen said. “Let’s get out of here before that psycho comes back.”

Zen need not have worried. As Lang was able to put the fire out. He began stumbling across the street to the nearest healer. He knocked on the door but when the healer answered, all he found was a dead boy, having succumbed to his injuries.